NSW housing needs to be designed for disability

Only a third of NSW local government councils are using their planning and development powers to promote adaptable housing in new housing developments, according to a study released by Shelter NSW.

Ms Mary Perkins, executive officer of Shelter NSW, which commissioned the study, said that the state government needed to release guidelines on adaptable housing, promised in the Sydney metropolitan strategy, if the state’s housing stock is to anticipate the needs of an ageing population.

The Shelter study was about NSW local councils’ provisions for adaptable housing or housing accessible to people with disabilities in mainstream housing developments. Sixty per cent of the 152 NSW councils contributed information to the study.

Twelve councils had provisions in a local governmental plan. Forty councils had provisions in a development control plan (DCP). Most of those DCPs focused on new multi-unit developments, such as flats, and set a target (typically 10%) of the housing to be adaptable for essential items under the Australian Standard on Adaptable Housing.

Most councils were reviewing and consolidating those controls, so it was opportune to encourage more councils to include provisions on adaptable housing in their planning controls.

Council planners reported little concern by potential developers at local government requirements for adaptable housing development. This was particularly the case in metropolitan Sydney.

The increased costs of adaptable housing development are a minor part of the total development cost if the requirements are designed in, particularly if it means improved floor space ratios and minimum impact on site yield.

Adaptable housing units are designed in such a way that they are, or can be easily modified in the future to become, accessible to both occupants and visitors with disabilities or progressive disabilities.

For further information visit www.shelternsw.org.au/docs/rpt06adaptable-sb30.pdf>